Lethem police intercept big ganja, cocaine haul

Police officers in Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), early Thursday morning intercepted a sizeable portion of marijuana and cocaine stashed in a vehicle’s trunk.

In a statement, Police Headquarters said that several officers were on mobile patrol at around 00:12hrs on Thursday.

While on patrol, the ranks stopped a Red Nissan Duke (PAB 3824), driven at the time by a 35-year-old unemployed man of Tabatinga, Central Rupununi. The man was later identified as Duane Johnson.

The other occupants of the vehicle were the driver’s child mother and their nine-month-old son.

An officer reportedly searched the driver, but found nothing on him. The vehicle was then searched and 13 bulky parcels wrapped in plastic were found in a black haversack, in the trunk of the vehicle.

In the presence of the driver and the female occupant of the car, the ranks opened all 13 parcels, 11 of which contained a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis.

The other two parcels contained a rock-like substance suspected to be cocaine.

The driver was told of the offence committed and cautioned. Police, however, said that the man admitted ownership. He was then arrested and escorted to Lethem police station along with the suspected narcotics.

The suspected cannabis was weighed and amounted to 8,045.4 grams (or about 17.7 pounds) and the suspected cocaine amounted to 1314.8 grams (or nearly three pounds).

The narcotics were then placed into evidence bags, marked sealed and lodged.

Investigations are continuing.